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About Corsa

For millions of British drivers, the Corsa was the first car: the one bought for a teenager, borrowed by a learner or leased by a young commuter. Sold in mainland Europe under the Opel badge since 1982, it arrived in Britain as the Vauxhall Corsa in 1993, taking over from the Nova name that the first generation had worn there, and it has spent years near the top of the British sales charts, finishing as the country's best-selling car in at least one recent year.

Five generations followed under General Motors, each a sensible, affordable small hatchback with a reputation for low running costs rather than excitement, though hot versions such as the Corsa VXR offered some spice. The sixth generation, launched in 2019, was the first developed under PSA ownership and shares its platform and much of its engineering with the Peugeot 208, which brought a lighter structure, better efficiency and, for the first time, a fully electric version.

The current Corsa is offered with turbocharged gasoline engines, a mild hybrid and the Corsa Electric, which has been sold at aggressive prices to help Vauxhall meet Britain's zero-emission vehicle mandate. A facelift gave it the brand's flat Vizor face and a tidier cabin. Rivals include its French cousin the Peugeot 208, the Renault Clio, the Volkswagen Polo and the Toyota Yaris, along with a new crop of affordable electric hatchbacks from Chinese brands such as MG and BYD.

News about the Corsa tends to center on prices, trims and lease offers, electric-range updates, used-buying guides, recalls and Vauxhall's broader electric strategy. The supermini class itself is shrinking as manufacturers retreat toward crossovers, which makes the Corsa's survival a story of its own. For now it remains one of the most familiar shapes on British roads and a default choice for drivers who simply want a small, inexpensive car that works.